Abstract

A featured microchip owning three big reservoirs and long turned geometry channel was designed to improve the detection limit of DNA fragments by using floating electrokinetic supercharging (FEKS) method. The novel design matches the FEKS preconcentration needs of a large sample volume introduction with electrokinetic injection (EKI), as well as long duration of isotachophoresis (ITP) process to enrich low concentration sample. In the curved channel [ long between port 1 (P1) and the intersection point of two channels], EKI and ITP were performed while the side port 3 (P3) was electrically floated. The turn-induced band broadening with or without ITP process was investigated by a computer simulation (using CFD-ACE+ software) when the analytes traveling through the U-shaped geometry. It was found that the channel curvature determined the extent of band broadening, however, which could be effectively eliminated by the way of ITP. After the ITP-stacked zones passed the intersection point from P1, they were rapidly destacked for separation and detection from ITP to zone electrophoresis by using leading ions from P3. The FEKS carried on the novel chip successfully contributed to higher sensitivities of DNA fragments in comparison with our previous results realized on either a single channel or a cross microchip. The analysis of low concentration 50 bp DNA step ladders ( after 1500-fold diluted) was achieved with normal UV detection at 260 nm. The obtained limit of detections (LODs) were on average 100 times better than using conventional pinched injection, down to several ng/ml for individual DNA fragment.